This invention relates to powered sanding tools and, more particularly, to such a tool with a removable auxiliary handle.
Power sanders typically include a movable platen on which is secured a sheet of abrasive material. The platen is below a main housing portion of the sander which contains a motor coupled to the platen for effecting movement thereof. A main handle portion is typically provided, connected to and extending rearwardly from the main housing portion. In order that the tool operator have maximum control over the sander, there is often provided a secondary, or auxiliary, handle either connected to, or formed as part of, the main housing portion and extending forwardly therefrom.
When the sander has a relatively large platen, the main housing portion of the sander takes up a relatively small portion of the area of the platen and therefore the auxiliary handle remains within the contours of a vertical projection of the platen. However, in a sander where the platen is small and the main housing portion takes up a relatively large percentage of the area of the platen, the auxiliary handle may extend beyond the contour of a vertical projection of the platen. When sanding a board or some other surface which is not bounded by walls this does not ordinarily present a problem. However, when sanding a surface bounded by walls, if the auxiliary handle extends beyond the platen, this limits the extent to which sanding in a corner of the surface may be effected. Removal of the auxiliary handle in such a situation would greatly enhance the effectiveness of the sanding process.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary handle for a sander which is readily removable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an auxiliary handle which, when installed on the sander, blends in with the overall contours of the sander to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance.